When we hear people being cynical about the benefits of 3D printing (additive manufacturing), it is easy to fall into the trap of taking on board those accusing the industry of hype. Sure there is hype in 3D printing for consumers but there has always been hype in anything where consumer marketing is concerned. Consumer marketeers can’t help themselves. The fact of the matter though is 3D printers have been used for many years in a whole range of industrial settings and for very good reasons. It has been a relatively low key technology affair for them and only lately has the sector started to grow. The exploitation of additive manufacturing within industrial supply chains according to PWC is now firmly picking up.
The video from Airbus (a very old fashioned and quaint style of film production) is a good example of how 3D printers are being adopted for use in their supply chain. It is of course a high profile example of additive manufacturing but it is real and it is happening (3D printing at Airbus is important). As one of their engineer explains, the ROI on additive manufacturing for Airbus is just too attractive not to use it – moreover expand that use wherever possible. Simply put, lighter parts in aircraft result in reduced fuel costs which is what their customers demand. Items made in one go as opposed to assemblies are often less expensive to make as well. For the aerospace industry it is a win-win scenario.
Aerospace Uses 3D Printing
The Aircraft industry in general is a prime adopter of additive manufacturing because the volumes are relatively low, the costs of parts are high, lead times are frequently long and complexity is often present across the supply chain. That complexity comes in a number of guises from the lifetime that an aircraft must operate to the number of parts it contains. We should not forget that in a humongous Airbus 380 there are roughly 4 million parts and similar numbers of components are present in all commercial aircraft of any size. Aircraft fly for decades and there is little guarantee that a supplier will still be in business many years later as explained by the Airbus engineer.
Holding inventory and flying it around the world to repair or retrofit an aircraft is expensive. If you keep a jet on the ground (out of service for just a day), the losses to an airline are significant. Aircraft need to continually fly in order to return a profit. The next step will logically be 3D printing hubs within aircraft maintenance centres, at least for non-critical parts. Here is what was recently published by Airbus about the use of 3D printing (additive layer manufacturing).
Shipping also has needs where 3D printing can be of service. There is no reason why large ships (particularly those in the navy) cannot have their own 3D printers on board. Yes ships move but it is not beyond the realms of engineering to keep a machine level under moderate pitch and roll. The possibility to replace even mundane broken parts as a fleet sails around the world is clearly an advantage they currently don’t possess – they can’t carry infinite stock and sometimes it is the little things that count. The U.S navy is already experimenting with making items aboard several of its ships. In a logistical context (industrial or military), the opportunity to make a part within hours and at the place of need is very alluring.
Locally Based Additive Manufacturing
The real revolution though is yet to come. As the costs of industrial 3D printers fall and the material science gets better, the opportunity exists to push forward with local manufacturing which is aimed at more mundane demands. Especially those making lower cost items and in higher volumes. At 3DPrintwise, we eagerly await the first 3D printing concessionaires to spring up, replacing some of the demand which was previously met by the mass production and retailing model. We believe that local manufacturing with 3D printers is an eventuality. This eventuality may not be as far off as people may think.